The California roll is the perfect first sushi to make at home: an uramaki (inside-out roll) with the rice on the outside, filled with crab, creamy avocado and crisp cucumber — and no raw fish, so it’s approachable for everyone. The secret to any good roll is properly seasoned rice, so start with our sushi rice recipe, ideally cooked in a Japanese rice cooker, then follow the steps below.
Ingredients
- 1 batch prepared sushi rice (about 3 cups cooked)
- 4 sheets nori, halved
- 8 crab sticks (surimi), or 200 g cooked white crab meat
- 1 ripe avocado, sliced
- ½ cucumber, cut into thin batons
- 2–3 tbsp Japanese mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp toasted white sesame seeds (or tobiko, to coat)
- To serve: soy sauce, pickled ginger, wasabi
Method
- Cover a bamboo rolling mat tightly with cling film (this stops the rice sticking). Have a bowl of water with a splash of vinegar nearby to wet your hands.
- Place half a nori sheet, shiny side down, on the mat. With damp hands, spread a thin, even layer of sushi rice over the nori, right to the edges. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
- Carefully flip the sheet so the rice faces down onto the mat and the nori is now on top.
- Along the centre of the nori, lay a line of crab, avocado, cucumber and a thin pipe of Japanese mayonnaise.
- Lift the edge of the mat and roll away from you, pressing gently and firmly to shape a tight cylinder. Press once more along the mat to seal.
- With a sharp, damp knife, cut each roll into 6 pieces, wiping the blade between cuts. Serve with soy sauce, ginger and wasabi.
Tip: Use warm, freshly seasoned rice at room temperature — never fridge-cold, which makes it hard and crumbly. For the cleanest cuts, keep the knife damp and slice in one smooth motion.
